Boris Becker to break his silence in German TV interview
John Skilbeck
December 16, 2022 20:16 MYT
December 16, 2022 20:16 MYT
Boris Becker is set to tell his story to German television on Tuesday after the tennis legend was released from prison.
The 55-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at the end of April for breaking insolvency laws.
It was news that 21-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic, who was previously coached by Becker, said left him "heartbroken" for his close friend.
Becker, who won six singles grand slams, served just eight months of his jail sentence. It was confirmed on Thursday by his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, he has returned to his native Germany, where he is not subject to any restrictions.
Now Becker is poised to speak about his experiences, shining a light on a shocking fall from grace.
The former world number one was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He will appear on the Sat.1 channel in a prime-time slot, with editor-in-chief Juliane Essling telling dwdl.de: "Boris Becker is perhaps the greatest hero of German sport. We all know the unbelievable highs and downfalls in his life. Boris Becker is familiar to us.
"Sat.1 will not talk about him – but with him. I am pleased that Boris Becker has given us his trust for the first and only interview worldwide after what may have been the most difficult time in his life."
I really missed Boris @TheBorisBecker ,especially on his 55th birthday — Kafelnikov Yevgeny (@KYevgeni) November 22, 2022
An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.
Becker lived in London before being sent to prison but could be prevented from returning to live in the UK.
He does not have UK citizenship and the Home Office has confirmed any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.
He covered tennis in a broadcasting career before he was sentenced, being a regular presence on the BBC during Wimbledon, the tournament he won three times, including s spectacular triumph as the age of 17 in 1985.